Loose-leaf binder mechanism



May 18 1965 H. FRODERMANN LOOSELEAF BINDER MECHANISM Filed June 19, 1962/NrE/vme Humm Fredy-umu United States Patent Oliice 3,l83,9l3 PatentedMay 18, 1965 2 Creams. (ci. msi- 24) The presen-t invention relates to4a loose-leaf binder mechanism. i Loose-leaf binder mechanisms are knownin which the mechanism is fastened by means of rivets to the back of abook cover or in which the back of the book cover is formed with a guiderail into which the loose-leaf binder mechanism is pushed to fasten themechanism t-o the book cov-er. Both ways of connecting the loose-leafbinder mechanism to a book cover are complicated and expensive andespecially the attachment of the mechanism by rivets to the cover givestan unsightly appearance of the arrangement.

'The present invention aims .to overcome this disadvantage of loose-leafbinder mechanism known in the art land to provide for such a mechanismwhich can be easily fastened to a boo-k cover without forming holes ineither the cover or the mechanism for inserting fastening rivetstherethrough.

It is an object of the present invention to provide for a 'book bindermechanism ywhich can be conveniently fastened to a ybook cover.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide for yaloose-leaf binder mechanism which consists only of a few rugged partswhich can be manufactured and assembled at reasonable cost and whichwill stand up under ext-ended use.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide .for sucha loose-leaf binder mechanism includ- Ving ring halves which can beclosed and opened lfor inserting perfonated sheets in the mechanism andin which the ring halves Vare properly held in the closed positionthereof.

It is yet .an additional object Iof the present invention t-o providefor a loose-leaf binder mechanism as mentioned above in which noseparate spring members are necessary for holding the ring halves in theclosed position.

nism according to the present invention comprises essentially elongatedsupport means, a pair of elongated rails superimposed on the elongatedsupport means and having each an inner edge face abutting against theinner edge face of the other of said pair of rails, a pair of ringhalves fastened spaced from each other to each .of said rai-1sprojecting upwardly therefrom and having a fre-e end adapted to abutagainst t-hel free en-d of the -corresponding ring half on the other ofthe rails, and cooperating means on opposite ends of the elongatedsupport means and on opposite ends ofea-ch of the rails -for mountingtheirails on the support means movable between a closed posit-ion inwhich the f-ree ends of the ring halves respectively fastened to therails are held in :abutting relationship and an open position in whichthe free ends are spaced from each other.

Preferably, the elongated support means of the looseleaf .binder has aflat bottom face which is adapted to be `sealed to the back of a bookcover and such sealing may be conveniently carried out, when the supportmeans in the book'cover is made from plastic, by a heat sealingoperation. In Ithis case it is preferred to form a tlange projectinglaterally from the bottom of the sup- With these objects in view, theloose-leaf binder mechaport means to thus facilitate heat sealing of thesupport means to a boo-k cover.

The cooperating means on the support means and the rails preferablyinclude a pair of grooves formed in each of a pair of projecting membersat opposite ends of each support means and cooperating with a pairV oftrunnions respectively projecting from opposite ends of each of therails. The pair .of grooves in each of the projecting members aredownwardly inclined toward each other and the trunnions on each rail arealigned along 4a common axis preferably located closely to the outeredge of each rail.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are setforth in particular in the appended claim-s. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective partial View of the loose-leaf binder accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the loose-leaf bin-der shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is -a top View of the loose-leaf binder shown in FIG. l;

. FIG. 4 is a section taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3 .and showingthe mechanism in closed position;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V--V 'of FIG. 3 andshowing the .mechanism in open position;

BIG. 6 is a partial topview .of a modified construction of the railsshown in FIGS. 1-3 and in which the nails .are shown in unassembledposition separated Vfrom each other;

FIG. 7 is a cross section of FIG. 6 taken along lines Vfl-VII; and

FIG. 8 is a cross section similar to FIG. 7 but showing a slightlymodified construction.

Referring now to the drawings and especially to FIGS. 1-5 of the saine,it will be seen that the loose-leaf binder mechanism of the presentinvention basically comprises elongated support means inclu-ding anelongated base member 1 and a pair of projecting members 4 respectivelyconnected to opposite ends of the base member 1 and projecting upwardlytherefrom. The mechanism includes further a pair of elongated rails 2extending substantially lpanallel to each other superimposed upon thebase member 1 between the projecting members 4. Each of the rails 2 haveinner edge faces which abn-t against each other as can be seen `fromFIGS. 4 and.5. A pair of ring halves .3 are respectively fastened to thenails 2 in any convenient manner and these ring halves 3 project spacedf-rom each other upwardly from the rails and having each a free endadapted to abut against the free end of the corresponding ring half onthe other rail. The mechanism includes further cooperating means onopposite ends of the elongated support means 1, 4 Iand on opposite endsof each of the rails 2 for mounting the rails 2 on the 4support meansi1, 4 movable between a closed position as shown for instance in FG. 4in which the free ends of Ithe ring halves 3 are held in abuttingrelationship and an open position in which the free ends of the ringhalves are .spaced from each other as shown in FIG. 5.

'Ihe aforementioned cooperating means may include guide grooves 5 formedin the faces of the projecting members 4 which are directed toward eachother, and the pair of guide grooves 5 in each of the projecting members4 extend, as can be `best seen from FIG. 4, downwandly inclined towardeach other. The cooperating means may include further a pair oftrunnions d pro- Si, jecting from opposite ends of each of the rails 2and being respectively located in the grooves formed in the projectingmembers 4. T-he trunnions 6 of each rail are aligned along a common axisextending substantially paralltel to the outer edge of each rail 2 andclosely `adjacent thereto. The inner edge face of each of the rails 2has an upper face portion and a lower face portion extending outwardlyinclined with respect to the upper face portion, as can be best seen inFIG. 4. In the closed position ott rails 2 and ring halves 3 as shown inFIG.`4 the rails 2 abut against each other along the upper portion ofthe inner edge faces thereof, whereas in the open Iposition of rails andring halves, as shown in FIG. 5, the rails 2 abut against each otheralong the lower inner edge face portions thereof.

The upper portions of the grooves 5 in each of the projecting members 4are spaced from each other a distance not greater than the lateraldistance between the trunnions 6 projecting from adjacent ends of thetwo -rails .2, so that the upper portions of the inner edge faces of therails are securely pressed against each other when the rails 2 and ringhalves 3 carried thereby are in the closed positions shown in FIG. 4.Preferably, the intersecting lines between the upper and lower inneredge face portions of the rails 2 are located, when the rails 2 and ringhalves 3 are in the closed position as shown in FIG. 4, at an elevationslightly lower than that of the axes of the Vtrunnions 6.

When the ring halves 3 are moved from the closed position shown in FIG.4 to the open position as shown in FIG. 5 by moving the upper ends ofAthe ring halves away from each other, the rails 2 will rst pivot aboutthe axes of the trunnion 6 until the forementioned intersection lineswill move to a level higher than the axes of the trunnions and afterthis movement the two rails will move with a snap action to the positionshown in FIG. 5 whereby the trunnions 6 will slide downwardly in thegrooves 5. The grooves 5 are preferably slightly curved and inclinedtowards each other in such a manner that the downward movement of thepinion 6 from, the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position shown inFIG. 5 will occur freely and without stressing the trunnions 6 or therails 2. The upper face of the elongated support member 1 is shaped, asbest illustrated in FIG. 5, to provilde clearance for the inclined rails2 in the open position thereof as illustrated in FIG. 5.

The elongated support member 1 has preferably a flat bottom face so thatthe `member 1 can be sealed to -the back of a book cover by cementing orheat sealing to the back of a book cover. If heat sealing is intended,the base member 1 is preferably made of plastic materialy and preferablya flange 1 extending laterally beyond at least par-t of the bottom ofthe base member is provided to facilitate heat sealing of a. base memberto the hack of a book cover. Preferably the rails 2 are made fromelastically flexible material, `for instance plastic and in this casethe projecting members 4'rnay be integrally made wi-th elongated basemember 1 of the support means and the rails 2 maybe assembled with theelongated support means 1, 4 by placing a cylindrical member 7 on thetop face ofthe elongated base member 1, by inserting one of thetrunnions 6 of the respective rail 2 into the corresponding groove 5 andby then resiliently flexing the rail 2 about the cylindrical member 7 asshown in dash-dot lines in FIG. 2, whereby, after the cylindrical member7 is removed f-rom the base member 1, the other trunnion 6 of the rail 2will snap into the opposite groove 5.

If the rails 2 are formed from material which does not lend :itself to aflexing as shown indash-dot lines in FIG. 2, then fastening means haveto ybe provided for fastening one of the projecting members V4 to thebase member 1 after the oppositetrunni-ons 6 on each rail 2 have beenplaced in the corresponding If the loose-leaf binder of the presentinvention is to be made to a considerable length, it is preferred toprovide on the inner edge faces of the rails 2 cooperating means forconnecting the same to each other while permitting movement of the railsfrom the closed to the open position as mentioned above. Suchmodifications including cooperating means are shown in the FIGS. 6 8.

FIGS. 6-8 only illustrate parts of the rails and the cooperating meansfor connecting the inner edge faces thereof to each other, and it isunderstood that the rails illustrated in FIGS. 6-8 carry each ringhalves3 and that the rails are mounted on elongated support means movablebetween `a closed and an open position as described above in connectionwith FIGS. 1-5. For claritys sake, the rails 2 shown in FIGS. 6-8 areshown not Vabutting against each other as described above, but theserails are shown disassembled and spaced from each other.

The cooperating means on the inner edge faces of rails 2 for connectingthe same to each other While permitting movement of the rails 'from theclosed to the ,open position as described above, include hook means 8fixed to and projecting from the inner yedge face of at least one of therails 2 and engaging in a corresponding cavity 10 formed in the inneredge face of the other of the rails. Preferably a plurality of hookmeans 8 and cavities l@ are alternately arranged on the inner edge faceof each of the rails 2 to cooperate with corresponding hook means andcavities arranged on the inner edge face of the other of the rails. Hookmeans 8 and cavities 1@ on one rail are staggered with respect to thecorresponding hook means and cavi-ties on the other rail so that thehook means on one rail may engage into the corresponding cavity of theother rail.

In the modification shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 the hook means S include anlupwardly projecting nose 8 and a downwardly extending stepped portion Srespectively adapted to engage behind ribs 10', 1th respectivelyprojecting toward each other from the upper and lower faces of thecavities 10. These upper and lower faces of the cavities 10 extendsubstantially parallel to each other spaced from each other at adistance substantially equal to the distance between the point of thenose 8' and the bottom face of the stepped portion 8. To facilitateinsertion of hook means 8 with the nose- 8 the stepped portion 8"thereon behind the ribs 16', 10 of the cavities 10, another cavity 9 ofsubstantially the same crosssection as the cavity 10 is Ifor-med next toeach cavity 10 and having =a width substantially equal to that of thehook means 8, but this cavity is not provided with ribs 1%', 1% so thatthe rails may be moved towards each other in direction of the arrows Ashown in FIG. 6 until the free end face of each hook means 8 abutsagainst the rear face of the corresponding cavity 9, and by movingafterwards the rails in longitudinal direction with respect to eachother until they noses 8 and stepped portions 8 become located behindthe ribs 10', 10 of the cavities 10 so that the rails are connected toeach other at the inner edge faces thereof. Y

FIG. 8 shows a cross-section similar to FIG. 7 in which the cooperatingmeans on theV inner edgefaces of the rails ZKhave a slightly modifiedshape. As can be seen from FIG. 8 the hook means 8 and the cavity 16 areboth curved and hook-shaped and the downwardly curved end portion of themember 8 shown at the right rail, as viewed in FIG. 8, is Vadapted toengage behind the rib projecting upwardly from the bottom face of thecavity shown at the left rail, as viewed in FIG. 8. As described abovean additionalcavity 9 without any projecting rib is formed next to eachcavity 10 to facilitate insertion of the hookshaped projecting portion 8and tothe corresponding cavity 10 as described above.

In the modilications shown in FIGS. 6-8 the rails are preferably madefrom plastic material and during tilting of the rails to the openposition thereof the ends of the hook means will be slightly andresiliently deformed.

In the position illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 the rails are held bysliding members (not shown) comprising two bars. In the case that thetrunnions 6 are in the upper position the bars are led into the grooves5 and fix the trunnions. The contours of the bars correspond to thelower part of the grooves.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofloose-leaf binder mechanism differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in aloose-leaf binder mechanism including a pair of rails abutting againstinner edge faces thereof against each other, it is not intended to belimited to the details shown, since various modifications and structuralchanges may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of thepresent invention.

I claim:

1. A loose-leaf binder mechanism comprising, in combination, supportmeans including an elongated base member having a pair of top faceportions inclined to each other in direction transverse to theirelongation and including with each other an angle slightly greater than180, and a pair of projecting members respectively connected to oppositeends of said base member projecting upwardly therefrom; a pair ofelongated flat rails superimposed on said elongated base member andextending parallel to each other between said projecting members, eachof said pair of elongated rails having inner and outer substantiallyparallel edge faces, said inner edge faces having each an opper faceportion adapted to abut against the corresponding upper face portion ofthe inner edge face of the other rail and a lower face portion outwardlyinclined to said upper face portion, and each of said elongated railshaving a pair of trunnions respectively projecting from opposite endsthereof aligned along a common axis extending substantially parallel andad-Y jacent to said outer edge face; a pair of ring halves fastenedspaced from each other to each of said rails projecting upwardlytherefrom and having each a free end adapted to abut against the freeend of the corresponding ring half on the other of said rails; and apair of guide grooves formed in each of said projecting members andbeing downwardly inclined towards each other and respectively receivingsaid trunnions so as to mount said rails movable between a closedposition in which said rails extend substantially in one plane and inwhich said trunnions are respectively located at upper portions of saidguide grooves which are spaced from each other so as to press in saidclosed position of said rails the upper portions of said inner edgefaces thereof against each other and to hold said free ends of said ringhalves in abutting relationship against each other and an open positionin which said trunnions are located at a lower portion of said guidegrooves and in which said lower face portions abut against each other sothat said rails are inclined with respect to each other so that the freeend of said ring halves will be spaced from each other, said trunnionsbeing tensionless guided in said grooves, and said grooves, said inneredge faces of said rails and said top face portions of said base memberconstructed to limit the angular position of said rails.

2. A loose-leaf binder mechanism comprising, in com- 6 bination, supportmeans including an elongated base member having a pair of top faceportions inclined to each other in direction transverse to theirelongation and including with each other an angle slightly greater thanand a pair of projecting members respectively consuperimposed on saidelongated base member and extending parallel to each other between saidprojectnected to opposite ends of said base member projecting upwardlytherefrom; a pair of elongated fiat rails ing members, each of said pairof elongated rails having inner and outer substantially parallel edgefaces, said inner edge faces having each an upper face portion adaptedto abut against the corresponding upper face portion of the inner edgeface of the other rail and a lower face portion outwardly inclined tosaid upper face portion, and each of said elongated rails having a pairof trunnions respectively projecting from opposite ends thereof alignedalong a common axis extending substantially parallel and adjacent tosaid outer edge face; a pair of ring halves fastened spaced from eachother to each of said rails projecting upwardly therefrom and havingeach a free end adapted to abut against the free end of thecorresponding ring half on the other of said rails; a pair of guidegrooves formed in each of said projecting members and being downwardlyinclined towards each other and respectively receiving said trunnions`so as to mount said rails movable between a closed position in whichsaid rails extend substantially in -one plane and in which saidtrunnions are respectively located at upper portions of the grooveswhich are spaced from each other so as to press in said closed positionof said rails the upper face portions of said inner edge faces thereofagainst each other and to hold said free ends of said ring halves inabutting relationship and an open position in which said rails areangularly inclined with respect to each other and in which saidtrunnions are located at a lower portion of said guide grooves and inwhich said lower face portions abut against each other, said trunnionsbeing tensionless guided in said grooves, and said grooves, said inneredge faces of said rails, and said top face portions of said base memberconstructed to limit the angular position of said rails; and cooperatingmeans on said inner edge faces of said rails for connecting the same toeach other while permitting movement of said rails from said closed tosaid open position and including hook means xed to and projecting fromthe inner edge face of at least one of said rails and engaging incorresponding cavities formed in the inner edge face of the other ofsaid rails.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 873,106 12/07Sturgis 129-24 907,596 12/08 Hawkins 129-24 1,231,816 Y 7/ 17 Vesterling129-24 2,040,251 5/ 36 Fabry 281-19 2,408,28 1 9/ 46 Wilkin i 20-402,718,229 9/ 55 Gregory 129-18 3,132,649 5 64 Gits 129-24 FOREIGNPATENTS 136,444 12/ 19 Great Britain. 708,722 5/54 Great Britain.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiner.

1. A LOOSE-LEAF BINDER MECHANISM COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, SUPPORTMEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED BASE MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF TOP FACEPORTIONS INCLINED TO EACH OTHER IN DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THEIRELONGATION AND INCLUDING WITH EACH OTHER AN ANGLE SLIGTLY GREATER THAN180*, AND A PAIR OF PROJECTING MEMBERS RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED TOOPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BASE MEMBER PROJECTING UPWARDLY THEREFROM; A PAIROF ELONGATED FLAT RAILS SUPERIMPOSED ON SAID ELONGATED BASE MEMBER ANDEXTENDING PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER BETWEEN SAID PROJECTING MEMBERS, EACHOF SAID PAIR OF ELONGATED RAILS HAVING INNER AND OUTER SUBSTANTIALLYPARALLEL EDGE FACES, SAID INNER EDGE FACES HAVING EACH AN UPPER FACEPORTION ADAPTED TO ABUT AGAINST THE CORRESPONDING UPPER FACE PORTION OFTHE INNER EDGE FACE OF THE OTHER RAIL AND A LOWER FACE PORTION OUTWARDLYINCLINED TO SAID UPPER FACE PORTION, AND EACH OF SAID ELONGATED RAILHAVING A PAIR OF TRUNNIONS RESPECTIVELY PROJECTING FROM OPPOSITE ENDSTHEREOF ALIGNED ALONG A COMMON AXIS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ANDADJACENT TO SAID OUTER EDGE FACE; A PAIR OF RING HALVES FASTENED SPACEDFROM EACH OTHER TO EACH OF SAID RAILS PROJECTING UPWARDLY THEREFROM ANDHAVING EACH A FREE END ADAPTED TO ABUT AGAINST THE FREE END OF THECORRESPONDING RING HALF ON THE OTHER OF SAID RAILS; AND A PAIR OF GUIDEGROOVES FORMED IN EACH OF SAID PROJECTING MEMBERS AND BEING DOWNWARDLYINCLINED TOWARDS EACH OTHER AND RESPECTIVELY RECEIVING SAID TRUNNIONS ASTO MOUNT SAID RAILS MOVABLE BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION IN WHICH SAIDRAILS EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY IN ONE PLANE AND IN WHICH SAID TRUNNIONS ARERESPECTIVELY LOCATED AT UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID GUIDE GROOVES WHICH ARESPACED FROM EACH OTHER SO AS TO PRESS IN SAID CLOSED POSTION OF SAIDRAILS THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID INNER EDGE FACES THEREOF AGAINST EACHOTHER AND TO HOLD SAID FREE ENDS OF SAID RING HALVES IN ABUTTINGRELATIONSHIP AGAINST EACH OTHER AND AN OPEN POSITION IN WHICH SAIDTRUNNIONS ARE LOCATED AT A LOWER PORTION OF SAID GUIDE GROOVES AND INWHICH SAID LOWER FACE PORTIONS ABUT AGAINST EACH OTHER SO THAT SAIDRAILS ARE INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER SO THAT THE FREE END OFSAID RING HALVES WILL BE SAPCED FROM EACH OTHER, SAID TRUNNIONS BEINGTENSIONLESS GUIDED IN SAID GROOVES, AND SAID GROOVES, SAID INNER EDGEFACES OF SAID RIALS AND SAID TOP FACE PORTIONS OF SAID BASE MEMBERCONSTRUCTED TO LIMIT THE ANGULAR POSITION OF SAID RAILS.